


i don't have any map to tell me (if this road is right)

by thebigolive



Category: Stray Kids (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Magic, Flowers, Gardens & Gardening, Healing, Light Angst, M/M, Slice of Life, Slow Burn, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Witchcraft, background minsung, but only for lixie, felix is soft for hyunjin, hyunjin grows flowers in his hair, hyunjin is soft for felix, jeongin said old people man..., they wild, this is just soft, uwu
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-08
Updated: 2019-04-08
Packaged: 2020-01-06 21:21:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 13,552
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18396587
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thebigolive/pseuds/thebigolive
Summary: Coming from Westgrove Avenue, three rights and a simple left are the directions to arrive at a shop that never seems to grow older. The trinkets held inside are humming with an unidentifiable energy, the water fountain bubbles at exactly 2:43 in the afternoon every day, and the kind-hearted owner behind the jewelry is often seen snoozing on the stained glass that covers the counter.Felix finds his way there by chance, but the peculiar witch that tends to the garden in back keeps him coming back for more.-or: felix is a young, inexperienced witch that looks for help in all the wrong places. until, of course, the wrong place flips around topsy-turvy and become the right place. because magic, of all things, is most unpredictable.





	i don't have any map to tell me (if this road is right)

**Author's Note:**

> my first work in the skz fandom!! i love these boys with all of my heart and hope i do them justice,, enjoy my magic au and babies being babies :D

The nameless have-it-all shop is extremely difficult to find.

 

Felix realizes this as he asks his way around town, receiving different answers from every single person that will stop and listen.

 

"From Gully Alley, take a right, then the second left," says an elegant enchantress with hair as dark as the night essence stored in Felix's pouch.

 

"Take Sieve Street down to Time-Teller Bridge, then turn left when it feels right," a gardening fairy tells the witch.

 

"I've got no clue, honest," says a witch with curly blond hair. "I just find myself at its door when I wander."

 

And so, Felix wanders, stuck with only his old backpack and an okay sense of direction.

 

He often times find himself at the step of an old, run-down convenience store that never seems to be staffed. The small town of Appetence seems to keep to itself, and Felix finds himself blinking at the gentle neon glow of the convenience store's sign after he ends up there for what seems like the fiftieth time. The old checkered tile is chipped and barely kept clean, years of grime clinging to the ceramic and little piles of crumbles along the edges of the store. The sign fizzes, and Felix tugs on his knapsack’s straps before he walks in.

 

A light bell sounds, its airy call ringing throughout the store. The rows are, despite the shop's outward appearance, kept in neat, organized lines, various shelves of magazines resting to the far right. Felix looks around curiously, searching for signs of life.

 

"Hello," a voice calls, rushed. “I definitely did not see you there!"

 

A round-cheeked boy comes out from behind the instant ramen, brown hair in disarray and jean jacket sporting an odd stain.

 

"Welcome to Jisung's Jocundities! I was  _ trying _ to arrange some of those pesky rehabilitation packs, but they seem to have a mind of their own when it comes to who and what needs rehabilitating," the boy says. “So really, I was just too busy trying to not be wrapped in fifteen colors of bandages and doused in healing potions of varying strengths. My apologies!"

 

The boy huffs after he says this, as if he got it all out in one breath and has forgotten what breathing is. Maybe he has.

 

"No worries," Felix says gently. "I was just finding myself at this store more often than not, so I decided to see what the insides of the beast look like."

 

The boy laughs, a clear, bright sound.

 

"You just moved here, right? I'm Jisung!"

 

Felix smiles, holding out a hand.

 

"I'm Felix! Nice to meet you, it really is. I haven't been able to have a good conversation with anyone yet, because everyone seems to be in a hurry, so thank you!"

 

Jisung shakes his hand firmly, a slight zip of electricity licking the palm of Felix's hand. He still hasn't stopped smiling.

 

"I'm pretty sure you're gonna want to find Woojin’s shop at some point if you’re new here! It's quite simple, but even the locals get it mixed up all jimble-jamble in their brains sometimes. From Westgrove Avenue, take three rights and a left! Pretty easy if you ask me, but sometimes people have more interesting things on their minds. In fact, I'm pretty sure the only way I can remember is because I'm the supplier for Woojin! He's quite a kind soul, really is, and I often head over to gift him with whatever he may need!" Jisung explains, punctuating his phrases with hand gestures and friendly facial expressions.

 

Felix nods, grabs a couple of snapping chocolates wrapped up in golden foil, and hands them to Jisung.

 

"Just these for me, please," he says. Jisung grins and jogs over to the cash register.

 

"Yes sir! That'll be just a couple of bucks for ya!"

 

Felix fishes in his pockets for his wallet, patting both his front and back before releasing a quiet "oh" and opening his rucksack. He draws two bills from his old crackly wallet and gives them to Jisung, who stores them in his register and hands Felix a receipt.

 

"Thanks for stopping in! Hopefully we see each other around! You're super fun to talk to, you know that?"

 

"Thank you," Felix says, smiling.

 

"Wait!" Jisung yells suddenly, as Felix opens the door. The neon light fizzes once more. "What's your name?"

 

"Felix, or Yongbok, but preferably Felix," the witch tells Jisung. Jisung flashes him a thumbs up and Felix exits the store, bell jingling behind him.

 

The ceramic on the outside of the store turns a little whiter as Felix realizes that he's introduced himself twice to the peculiar witch heading Jisung's Jocundities.

 

* * *

The thing about the roads in Appetence is that they ramble.

 

Felix finds this to be incredibly upsetting, as there is sometimes no clear left and no clear right. Despite this, he manages to find himself at a dilapidated cobble building that looks like it's standing through sheer force of will alone. Ivy grows up the uneven stone, messes of ferns surrounding the rusted mailbox. The chimney pipes healthily despite the shop's outward appearance, so Felix steps closer and peers into the shop's door's window.

 

A set of eyes peer right back.

 

Felix jumps and lets out a small shriek, flinching again as the door opens, colliding with the wall next to it. Someone grins at him past the threshold of the shop.

 

"Hello! We've been expecting you," a well-dressed boy says mysteriously. Felix raises an eyebrow at him, and they stare at each other until the boy bursts into laughter.

 

"Hyunjin, how many times have I told you? Our guests will not return if you act as if you were stalking them," a voice says exasperatedly from somewhere deeper in the shop.

 

"But  _ mom, _ " Hyunjin says, pouting, "he's not even intimidated! Wait, why aren't you intimidated?" Hyunjin asks, turning to face Felix with wide eyes.

 

"No clue," Felix answers honestly. Hyunjin tilts his head, considering, then grins and ushers him in.

 

The store is crowded, but the room feels spacious. Felix can't move without being uncomfortably aware of the glass bottles lining the windowsills, but there's no danger in hitting them. Sunlight catches the eyes of dust particles in the air, and it smells like old leather with a hint of spices. Hyunjin leads him to the far left corner of the shop, grabbing a few crystals, a smooth skipping stone, and a vial of sundrops. Dumping his finds unceremoniously onto the stained glass counter, he takes a deep breath.

 

"Woojin!" Hyunjin shouts, hands curling into fists by his sides. The water fountain at the front gives an unhappy pop at the sudden noise.

 

"Yes, I'm coming, goodness me," a harried voice calls, footsteps sounding in the strange atmosphere.

 

A black-haired witch, sporting a safety pin earring in one ear and various necklaces with enchanted stones around his neck, storms out from behind a door. The old oak shudders and groans as it is closed.

 

"Hello, Woojin!" Hyunjin sings, rearranging the items on the counter. "Here's what Felix needs!"

 

It occurs to Felix that he has never told Hyunjin his name, but all queries die on his tongue as he looks to Hyunjin, who is looking straight back at him with a sparkle in his eye.

 

"Well, I don't actually know what my affinity is yet, so I'm not sure if I should be..." Felix attempts, but Hyunjin grins at him and his words trail off into the dusty air.

 

"Don't worry, Felix!" Woojin says, inspecting the skipping stone. "Hyunjin takes excellent care of all of our customers."

 

"I really do," Hyunjin confirms.

 

"Well," Felix says, defeated, "I suppose it wouldn't be too bad to have supplies. How much do I owe you?"

 

"Ah," Woojin says, holding up a crystal to a ray of sun, "I say no payment is needed! It is, after all, your first time."

 

Felix is stricken with a sudden feeling that his "first time" entails much more than what he thinks.

 

"But—!"

 

"But nothing, Felix! The only payment I want is for you to visit us often." Woojin says, smiling gently. "Hyunjin and Changbin often don't have much company but me, and I'm sure they're getting tired of all of my mother-hen tendencies."

 

To Felix's side, Hyunjin frowns.

 

"Definitely not true," he says, "and Changbin can prove it as well."

 

Woojin laughs lightheartedly and places Hyunjin's hand-picked items into a worn wooden box with dark blue velvet lining the interior. He offers the box to Felix, who takes it and begins tracing the patterns etched into the wood absentmindedly.

 

"Here you are, Felix!" Woojin says, smile growing bigger. "I hope you can visit us again soon!"

 

Felix thanks both of the witches, bids them farewell, and slips out of the cobble shop as the sun sets, watching the oranges and pinks brush the tops of the cottages packed tightly together. He wanders around for a little more, box clutched firmly in his hands, and watches the night life come out.

 

The stars wink at him as he retrieves the night essence from his pouch, storing the box securely beside his wand and anklet. As he uncaps the vial, the rich, earthy scent of rainfall in the forest envelops him and he exhales as the vial's contents surround him quietly. As soon as it starts, it's over, and Felix gathers the essence into his vial once more and drops it into his pouch.

 

How immediately interesting the town of Appetence is proving itself to be.

 

* * *

Felix finds himself walking out of his small home at precisely six twenty-four in the morning, the smell of cut grass permeating the air along with the pleasant odor of freshly-baked bread.

 

"Neighbor boy!"

 

Felix turns toward the voice and finds himself faced with a brown-haired boy who is holding a wicker basket covered with a checkered cloth.

 

"Neighbor boy," the baker says, "you are awake much too early in the morning. I nearly fell back asleep kneading the bread! I jumped out of bed when I heard you rustling around and haven’t quite been the same since.”

 

"Well," Felix says, startled, "I wasn't quite expecting you to need to bake bread before I left."

 

"And that's where we differ," the bread boy says, "for I had definitely charmed a note onto your kitchen table. Did you not see it?"

 

"No, but is that legal?" Felix wonders. The boy huffs and thrusts the basket out to him.

 

"For you," he says, "and my name is Lee Minho."

 

Felix takes the basket and cannot help but grin at the absolute absurdity of it all.

 

"I'm Felix."

 

"Very well." Minho tells Felix. "I am glad that we have become acquainted."

 

And with that, Lee Minho turns and marches back into his house, leaving behind a wicker basket full of warm bread and a very bemused witch.

 

* * *

Felix decides to bring the bread to the shop. After all, there are enough rolls to feed a small army, and although they do smell delectable, there is no chance that Felix will be able to eat them all.

 

He makes his way down Westgrove Avenue at a leisurely pace, enjoying the sight of a town waking up to the sun's bright call. The paved road is warming, and Felix watches a black cat cross the sidewalk and blink languidly at him. He continues to walk and before he realizes it, he's back in front of the overgrown shop. He steps inside almost silently, the door squeaking once before settling into its frame. The trails of a hushed conversation float through the shop, and Felix wonders if he's intruded. He begins to walk to the counter anyways, basket handle clenched between his palms and his fingers.

 

He rounds the corner and spots Woojin and Hyunjin conversing quietly with another boy with red hair. Their faces show that it's an important conversation, and Felix almost turns back around. However, Woojin spots him and immediately brightens, straightening and waving.

 

"Hello, Felix!" Woojin greets. The other two boys turn towards him as well, and Hyunjin studies Felix seriously for a couple of moments before his expression wipes clean and he's grinning and  waving as well.

 

The red-haired boy gives a small wave and drums his fingers on the countertop nervously. Felix gives a little wave back and shifts his hold on the basket.

 

"I've brought rolls from my neighbor," Felix explains, "because I don't think I'd be able to eat them all."

 

Hyunjin snags the basket from Felix's arms, setting it down on the countertop and folding back the checkered cloth. He gasps dramatically.

 

"These are Lee Minho's rolls!" Hyunjin exclaims. "These are famed baker Lee Minho's signature baked good!"

 

Woojin makes an interested sound and palms a roll, taking a bite out of the bread before snapping his eyes open.

 

"I have jam," the witch says in realization. He hurries off to behind the old oak door.

 

"Well, Felix, this is Changbin!" Hyunjin says, pointing to the red-haired boy. "Binnie, this is our town's new resident, Felix!"

 

"Hello, Felix." Changbin greets softly.

 

"Hello!" Felix returns, tossing his roll from hand to hand.

 

At that moment, Woojin returns, a glass jar of raspberry preserves and a couple of butter knives held between the rings on his fingers. He sets the jar down with a satisfying  _ clink, _ the sound of glass on glass soothing to the ear. The witch doles out butter knives, looking pointedly at Hyunjin's sole bite that remains.

 

"It was delicious!" Hyunjin complains, popping the last bite into his mouth and reaching for another. Woojin slaps his hand away sternly.

 

"You mustn't take Felix's belongings without asking first," the shop-owner admonishes. Hyunjin wrinkles his nose in distaste and snatches another roll anyways.

 

"I don't mind," Felix says, laughing softly. Changbin finishes spreading an even layer of jam onto his roll and takes his first bite.

 

"This is good," the red-haired witch declares. Hyunjin nods in agreement.

 

They munch on their rolls and jam for a good time longer, Woojin bringing out ceramic teacups and filling them with a type of tea that Felix has never tried before. He sets one aside, a heat spell in place, and shakes his head dismissively when Felix aims a questioning look in his direction.

 

The tea tastes slightly of nuts, the flavor smooth on Felix's tongue. He finds himself reaching for the teapot to refill his cup more than once.

 

They sit and chat for a while, Felix gently prodding Changbin to join the conversation. At one point, Hyunjin sighs and falls to the side, resting his head on Felix's shoulder. For some reason, Felix does not mind, and merely pats the boy's head before returning to spreading jam onto his roll. Changbin's eyes droop every once in a while, but they never stay closed for over two seconds. Woojin looks on fondly as the three boys begin to succumb to the cozy atmosphere of his shop, conversation dying out as Hyunjin's hold on his eleventh roll loosens.

 

And then, at once, the doorbell rings.

 

The tone is sharp and short, starting a beat too late and lasting for a beat too long. Hyunjin, Felix, and Changbin all jump, blinking sleep away from their wide eyes. Woojin sighs.

 

"Do come in," he calls. "We are in the far left corner!"

 

"As if I didn't know such a fact," a voice huffs from the door. "I know my directions quite well!"

 

A boy with round cheeks and rounder eyes comes huffing and puffing up the aisle, a skip to his step that is trying to be repressed. A notebook is tucked under his arm, but it seems to be attempting to get away. The pages flutter slightly as the book tries to tug itself from where it's trapped between the boy's arm and side.

 

The boy breezes past Felix and props one arm on the counter, already flipping through his notebook with a wave of his hand.

 

"Now, hear me out, because I've got a marvelous idea this time."

 

"Seungmin," Woojin says gently, "I am perfectly content with my shop and its current state."

 

"Who are you?" Felix asks, because he's curious.

 

"Kim Seungmin, at your service!" Seungmin says, taking a goofy bow before resuming his rather hurried page flipping. "I'm the manager of this old, beat-up place."

 

"He isn't," Woojin tells Felix, "but his ideas are humoring and he likes the rooibos tea here."

 

Changbin watches the journal's pages as a cat would watch sunspots on the ground, lazily and yet attentively. He seems interested in a few of the designs that come and go.

 

"Now, Woojin," Seungmin says, hands on his hips, "you told me you ran out of rooibos tea a long time ago. And yet, a steaming cup of none other than that very tea sits upon your stained glass counter!"

 

Woojin sighs and pushes the cup he'd set aside before across the counter. While he's at it, he also snatches a roll from the basket and places it in front of the tea. Seungmin grins and his notebook snaps shut before falling open to a page.

 

"Here's my excellent idea!" Seungmin exclaims excitedly. "I think that investing in a walk-in bar is a splendid way to increase revenue."

 

The witch pauses, downing the tea in one go. He waves the empty cup around until Woojin plucks it out of his hand crisply, already turning to refill it.

 

"You're younger than me," Woojin mumbles. Nobody pays him any mind.

 

"I do believe that everyone in this town is of age, so it'd be a feasible investment," Seungmin continues thoughtfully. Changbin raises his hand.

 

"Yes, Changbin?" Hyunjin calls, pointing.

 

"Jeongin is only eighteen," Changbin tells the group. Seungmin goes slack in realization.

 

"Never mind," he says dejectedly. "I keep forgetting about that pesky peony snatcher."

 

"Now, Seungmin," Woojin says carefully, "Jeongin can't help his tendencies."

 

"But that's where you're  _ wrong!" _ Seungmin explodes, the journal on the table shuddering and fluttering. "That boy has every tool available to halt his obnoxious tendencies. It's a pain, is what it is!"

 

Woojin sighs, Changbin purses his lips, and Hyunjin nods sagely.

 

"Jeongin is the youngest in our town," Changbin says, "and he's trying his best to adjust."

 

Seungmin huffs and plucks a knife from the counter aggressively. Unscrewing the jar raspberry preserves, he slathers jam onto his second roll, takes a bite, and chews grumpily.

 

Woojin turns to Felix, a question hiding behind his irises and rushing to the tip of his tongue.

 

"How many others have you met?" Woojin questions, setting his porcelain teacup down.

 

"Well, I've met the owner of the convenience store. Jisung, right?" Felix says, fingertips tapping his own cup lightly.

 

"Yes!" Hyunjin exclaims. "I love that man!"

 

"We do love Jisung," Woojin confirms, "and I'm glad you met him! He's very friendly. Comes around every once in a while to deliver some things for me."

 

"He's very adapt at counting toads," Changbin adds.

 

"I don't think you're using the correct word," Felix attempts.

 

"Say what you will," Seungmin interrupts, "but that man is a natural-born charmer."

 

Felix wonders if he means that in the literal or figurative way. He supposes that it could be either both or none, and the winds are blowing towards both.

 

A chime sounds pleasantly throughout the shop, bouncing off of packs of tarot cards and losing itself in neat rows of speckled river stones. Woojin straightens and messes with the rings on his fingers as footsteps approach the desk.

 

"Hello, Chan!" Hyunjin cheers. "We've been wondering when you'd come around!"

 

A blond witch grins back at them, eyes kind and smile warm. He notices Felix and starts, eyes widening ever so slightly as a curl falls onto his forehead.

 

"You!" Chan exclaims. "You've found your way here, thank goodness! So sorry to not be of more help, but I honestly just set out whenever it feels right and my feet take me where I need to be!"

 

"No worries," Felix reassures. "I received directions from Jisung at the convenience store."

 

"Good," Chan nods. "Very good. I do love Jisung. He's a helpful young man."

 

"You speak as if you were an old wrinkly grandpa," Hyunjin bemoans. "You're so weird."

 

Chan frowns and sets a bundle of dried thyme on the stained glass counter. Woojin snatches it up and ties it with a light blue ribbon, swapping Chan's bills for the herbs cradled in his arms.

 

"How have your brews been coming along?" Woojin asks, taking another cup out from the cupboard and placing it on the countertop. Chan snags a roll and slides the jam closer to himself, leaning against his elbows as he acquires a knife from the sad, sticky pile of silverware in the center of the counter's mosaic.

 

"Pretty well, I'd say," Chan says pensively, "although I'd have to brew them again to make sure that I've actually mastered them."

 

"You can do it!" Hyunjin encourages. Changbin raises a fist in support.

 

"Thank you!" Chan beams, stirring his tea with a little stir stick. Woojin smiles happily, and the conversation dulls into a rhythmic cadence. Felix takes a sip of his tea as he looks around him, at his group of found friends and his own content aura. He settles into his position leaning against a beam and watches as Hyunjin animatedly tells a story, Changbin's lips quirking up and Seungmin's hearty laughter ringing through the shop. Chan pours Woojin another cup of tea, offering a gentle smile to the shopkeeper as he nudges the preserves in his direction. Woojin's eyes soften and he casts the blond witch a fond look.

It's here that he finds himself nodding off, head falling to the side and his eyes drooping closed.

 

* * *

 

 

Felix wakes to a gentle hand running through his hair, cheek resting on someone's jean-clad leg. He blinks open his eyes and turns his head to peer up at a half-asleep Hyunjin, seated on an old, beaten couch with patches of polka dot fabric covering missing sections of worn linen. It looks like something out of a cartoon and Felix both loves and hates it.

 

He takes a moment to look around him. Quiet chatter fills the room, various hanging planters trailing elegant curls of ferns into the dusty light. The old wood floorboards creak at every movement, history tucked away underneath them. The room is cast in an orange glow, no doubt from the sun deciding to rest her eyes below the horizon. He's laid out across the couch, legs bent at the knee and hands resting at his sides. Stretching languidly, Felix yawns loudly and Hyunjin startles, jumping into full awareness and looking down at Felix.

 

"Your freckles are really pretty," Hyunjin breathes after a moment of observation.

 

"Oh," Felix responds, positive that his freckles are now bathed in a vibrant red. "Thank you."

 

Hyunjin studies Felix's face for a moment longer before tilting his head back, exhaling, and closing his eyes once more. Felix does the same, on the brink of entering his dreams when a voice brings him back to the world of the living.

 

"Felix," Hyunjin says, a hint of a question already forming on his lips.

 

"What is it?" Felix asks, keeping his eyes shut.

 

"Have you met Jeongin yet?"

 

"No," Felix answers, "but he seems like quite the character."

 

"He's cute," Hyunjin slurs sleepily, "but not as cute as you."

 

Felix splutters and turns his head to the side, still keeping his eyes firmly closed to save himself at least a shred of dignity. There are no more idle murmurs from the boy upon whose lap he rests.

 

* * *

Felix wakes once more to the singing of birds. He rubs his eyes and sits up, noting with surprise that the Hyunjin-shaped cushion he had been using was now a plump throw pillow decorated with swirly patterns. Felix briefly wonders how the witch managed to slip out from underneath him, but he dismisses the thought in favor of searching for all of the other lively people that seem to frequent Woojin's quaint little shop.

 

The old oak door stands regally in the right corner of the room, and Felix can only guess that he is behind the shop's public space and, in fact, very much intruding. He rushes to the door, pushes it open with minimal resistance (though the wood gives a mighty groan), and finds himself directly behind a very bored-looking Chan.

 

"Oh!" Felix says, bumping into the elder witch's back. "I'm so sorry!"

 

"No worries at all," Chan is quick to reassure. "I'm taking over shop as Woojin runs to the convenience store and Hyunjin tends to the gardens in back. If you'd like, you can join him!"

 

Felix nods and exits the shop through the front door, following the ivy-twined stone around the corner and to the wooden fence gate, white paint chipped and tendrils of crawling plants waving in the breeze. The gate is already cracked open, an earthy smell emanating from the gardens. He steps inside the gate, sure to close it afterwards. The garden itself is overgrown and barely kept trimmed, trodden paths winding around the messes of greenery. Pops of bright-colored flowers peek out from behind broad leaves and a bubbling stream flows through, stepping stones placed strategically to align with the beat-down trails.

 

"Ah," Felix says to himself. "How on earth am I to find Hyunjin here?"

 

He begins by taking the path that looks most used, noticing the wheelbarrow that lies abandoned next to spots of white and pink pansies. The wheelbarrow itself holds chrysanthemums, used for health tonics and comfort perfumes. Further down the trail, various beehives are nestled into little boxes, honeybees bustling about. Neat little jars of golden honey are lined in the grass nearby. A pair of shears lays strewn in the middle of the path. Felix walks a couple more meters and finds himself at a pond, a beautiful wooden bridge crossing it and lily pads abundant. He spies Hyunjin crouched down by the waterside, his arms submerged in the water up to his elbows.

 

"Hyunjin!" Felix calls, stepping over a particularly stubborn vine. "What are you up to?"

 

Hyunjin looks over, mildly surprised.

 

"I'm checking the state of the soil at the bottom of the pond," he says, "so my hands are all icky and sticky."

 

To prove this point, he pulls his hands out from beneath the water, showing off the muck stuck underneath his fingernails and pondweed clinging to his forearms. It's disgusting, but Hyunjin's eyes sparkle with happiness and Felix can't bring himself to say anything remotely negative.

 

"Will you teach me?" Felix asks instead, crouching down next to him and rolling up his sleeves.

 

The grin that he receives is so bright that Felix forgets about the duckweed, forgets about the muck underneath fingernails, and forgets about the bumpy frogs bathing in the sunlight atop the lily pads.

 

"Of course!" Hyunjin beams. "Follow my lead, I'll explain it to you!"

 

And so he does.

 

The muck at the bottom of the pond is squishy and breaks apart under Felix's hands. Hyunjin reassures him that it is feeling very healthy and that he should probably take some samples, but he prefers to avoid the scientific part of gardening. It ruins the personal factor, Hyunjin says. You can't nurture your plants if you confine them to glass tubes and whirring technology.

 

At some point, Felix feels a nip at one of his fingers and pulls his hands out of the water hurriedly, muddy fingertips dripping pond water. Hyunjin laughs, loud and bright, and tells him that it's just the minnows. They get curious when something new is in their home. After a while, the nips stop, and when Felix tells Hyunjin this, he smiles and says they've warmed up to him.

 

They feel all around the pond, swishing their fingers in the water below the bridge because it's too high up to test the muck, grabbing handfuls of the soil and threatening to throw it in each other's faces. Hyunjin finally gets up and shakes out his shoulders, telling Felix that it's time to check on the bees. They get up and move towards the bee boxes after hosing off their arms, chatting lightheartedly all the while.

 

Hyunjin doesn't need a bee suit for some reason, but he insists on Felix putting one on. When he sees how uncomfortable the other witch is, he giggles again and slips into one too, zipping up the back and making a silly face. They march to the bee boxes determinedly, white suits shifting and making a racket as Hyunjin and Felix snort at the ugly sounds. The beehives are intricate and golden, and Hyunjin whispers a simple sentence to Felix as he opens up the last box, peering in at the queen bee and smiling softly.

 

"Every little thing deserves to be loved."

 

* * *

After, they make their way back to the shop, but they take the long way because they have much to talk about and Hyunjin wants to show Felix the rest of the gardens. There's a weeping willow tree past the pond, branches hanging down and brushing the grass. Various sheds dot the trails, full of gardening tools and herbs and flowers that are hung out to dry. There are squirrels and rabbits and deer, because Hyunjin has somehow charmed the gate to open for those that need shelter. Felix follows Hyunjin and watches him talk about his beloved garden, noting a gentle spattering of white peeking out from under his light hair. It wasn't there before, but Felix certainly isn't about to bring it up now, so he keeps quiet.

 

(The stone wall hidden behind a grove of saplings houses various ledges with seedlings of varying size crowded into flower pots barely kept on the platforms. Felix can't help but think it's so  _ Hyunjin. _ )

 

When they finally reach the gate, Hyunjin traces a slow circle in the air with his hand and the gate opens, metal lock undoing itself and opening silently. They walk back to the front door in a comfortable silence, sharing small smiles and gentle blushes.

 

Felix opens the shop door and the moment is immediately shattered, a commotion piercing through the silence. He can make out Woojin's voice, Seungmin's, Changbin's one-word contributions, and another unidentifiable voice. He and Hyunjin share a startled look before briskly making their way to the counter, weaving through piles of sage and bottles of turmeric. When they finally make it over, Felix is greeted with the sight of a young black-haired boy, hair messy and clothes unkempt. He's pouting and gesturing, Woojin's face the picture of barely-restrained frustration.

 

"Jeongin!" Hyunjin exclaims. "I've missed you!"

 

The boy turns and immediately, a grin overtakes his pout.

 

"Jinnie!" Jeongin cries. "I haven't seen you in  _ ages! _ "

 

They embrace, and once they break apart Hyunjin asks why he's here.

 

"I've just come from getting my braces off," Jeongin declares, "and the little old dentist witch even removed them for free!"

 

"It's because she knows you haven't got any money to begin with," Woojin points out, though not unkindly. Nevertheless, Jeongin deflates and aims a half-hearted glare at the shopkeeper.

 

"I haven't got any money because nobody will accept my job applications!"

 

"So you find it fit to steal  _ my  _ flowers from  _ my _ garden," Seungmin grouches. Jeongin rubs his forehead.

 

"If anybody would give me a chance, I'd show them that I'm perfectly capable of being serious and responsible! I'm eighteen, for crying out loud, I'm not a child!" Jeongin bursts, and a crack shoots through the stained glass countertop.

 

"See," Woojin sighs, "this is why I simply cannot employ you at my shop. It's too risky, Innie."

 

Jeongin harrumphs and watches as Woojin casts a repairing spell, the crack etching itself away. Felix watches the both of them interestedly, having never met the young witch before.

 

The water fountain gurgles and bubbles.

 

"It always does that," Hyunjin whispers to Felix. "It must be two forty-three in the afternoon."

 

"It is," Jeongin announces crossly, misplacing his annoyance.

 

"Well," Seungmin says, "I think I will be heading back to my home. The  _ peonies, _ " he turns to glare at Jeongin, "are  _ severely _ damaged and I need to tend to them at once."

 

"Do that, old man," Jeongin retorts, "see if that stops me."

 

"Oh, it'll stop you," Seungmin grumbles. "See if you continue to steal them when there's nothing left to steal."

 

Jeongin sticks his tongue out in an act of maturity.

 

"Impressive, Innie," Seungmin says, deciding to be mature as well. "Your big stupid face isn't getting  _ any _ of my peonies from now until forever!"

 

Woojin sighs, a long, ever-suffering sound.

 

The two make their way out of the shop, bickering all the while. Felix watches them go, mildly impressed that they can both insult each other and walk at the same time.

 

"Interesting," Changbin says helpfully. Hyunjin nods in agreement.

 

The door slams.

 

* * *

The convenience store is quiet at night, and Jisung is settled into a corner, dozing. The store boasts 24-hour service, but really, it's only if you can get the witch when he's awake.

 

(Plus, there's this weird superstition that most witches have. They often don't go out at night because it's supposed to bring bad luck when brewing tonics. Felix has never really been concerned with that, though, because the first time he'd tried his hand at creating a tonic, it'd evaporated with a pop as soon as he added the dried lavender.)

 

"Jisung," Felix says, nudging the witch gently. The convenience store owner groans and throws an arm over his eyes.

 

"Jisung," Felix repeats, louder this time. The blond witch startles, feet slipping off of the counter they've been resting on noisily and the old magazine held in his hands falling to the floor.

 

"Hello, Felix!" Jisung says sleepily, still not all there but becoming more aware by the second. "What brings you here so late at night?"

 

"I've been looking for some good gooseberry taffies," Felix says, "and I really have not been able to find any in Woojin's shop. Do you carry any here?"

 

"Of course!" Jisung says, almost offended at the implication that he wouldn't. "I carry nearly every type of magical supplement there is to offer! Try to find a candy that I don't have, and unless you're asking for fizzing snowstorms, it's somewhere in this old mess of a store!"

 

"Got it," Felix says, a hint of a smile pushing the corners of his lips upwards. He watches happily as Jisung bustles about the shop, the neon sign that reads "ELEMENT-BASED HARD CANDIES" flickering every once in a while. He hears Jisung shout in triumph and a few seconds later, he emerges from behind the shelf of raspberry vine thorns, holding a cellophane bag in his fist.

 

"Only the finest," Jisung boasts as he moves back to behind the counter. "Only the best for my beautiful little town of Appetence!"

 

"As I very much appreciate," Felix tells him. Jisung nods seriously and shoves the bag into Felix's arms.

 

"I have decided to make this free of charge," Jisung says, and raises a hand when Felix begins to protest. "It's the least I can do for you! You've just moved here and you're probably still a little shaky on your feet. If I can make it even a little bit easier, it's my pleasure."

 

Felix grins so wide his cheeks hurt.

 

As he exits the store, a quiet buzzing fills his ears. He turns toward the store and watches in mild interest as the grime on the tile seems to be wiped off by an invisible cloth. The buzzing disappears after the cleaning is done, and Felix walks back to his home in the quiet cloak of the night.

 

As he opens his door with a little charm, he's hit with how unfamiliar his little cottage is. It's empty, and cold, and Felix frowns as he looks at the suffocating white walls of the corridor in front of him. Felix tosses his sack of gooseberry taffies to the ugly gray chair next to the entrance and turns right back around, marching down to the center of town once again to find Jisung and his store of oddities.

 

* * *

"Something bad is going to happen," Changbin tells Woojin, out of the blue. The shop owner pauses and considers the red-haired witch, finger tapping the edge of his mouth.

 

"Well," Woojin finally says when Changbin begins to shift under his scrutiny, "that can't be anything promising, now can it?"

 

* * *

Felix spends the entire morning and afternoon in his cottage. Normally, he tags along with one of the other witches he's come to think of as friends, but today he's got a mission and said mission is almost completed. The floor of his cottage is covered in an anti-stain spell, cans of yellow and green and blue paint discarded all over the floor. Paintbrushes sit in cans, on the carpet, and even suspended in mid-air. Felix himself is covered in splotches of paint, red and pink and purple and white, but the walls around him finally look like someone's home and he smiles proudly as he drinks in the sight of his handiwork.

 

The walls are decorated with a swirling mess of paint strokes placed to look like sunflowers dancing in the wind, their usually-rigid stems soft and pliant as crafted wind sways them to its will. Another wall is muted with tones of blue and gray, ripples and waves created by a few perfectly-placed brushstrokes. Orange and white koi fish swim peacefully under the waves, bodies distorted by the illusion that the water casts.

 

Felix allows himself a brief moment to think that he really  _ is _ a good artist.

 

"Hm," Felix hums to himself. "Not bad."

 

And that's that.

 

He sets down the paintbrush held in his hand and pads into the kitchen to find something to eat. The doorway to the kitchen is covered in painted vines, leaves cast in such a light that they look like they're hanging off of the white plaster.

 

(Maybe they are.)

 

The kitchen cupboards are decorated with swirling patterns, purples and blues with accents in white and silver. Weaving in between the wicker of his four dining chairs are streaks of dark, bubbling reds, licks of golden paint droplets haphazardly strewn among the three-dimensional form of the chair. The gifts from Hyunjin (and, by extension, Woojin) are carefully kept on his dining table, laid out and displayed as the old wooden box is placed carefully on the highest shelf in the living room.

 

And for the first time, it's home.

 

* * *

He walks down to the shop that day with a little extra skip in his step, not bothering to change out of his paint-covered clothes. In his arms is a small basket of snickerdoodle cookies, covered tastefully with a honeybee-print cloth so that they don't become damaged somehow in the afternoon sun. Felix baked them that morning, before starting his project, so that he had something to nibble on as he worked.

 

(He definitely didn't finish all of them. Woes of having a small appetite.)

 

The door aches when Felix steps into Woojin's shop, the sound of an old grandfather clock filling the quiet nestled between the shelves. It's new, but sounds incredibly old and familiar.

 

"Hwang will be there in a moment!" Woojin yells from somewhere behind the counter, the sound of glass clinking accompanying his call. Felix has barely a second to wonder who "Hwang" is  before Hyunjin comes barreling through the door leading to the back, lavender pouches piled up in his arms.

 

"Hello, Felix!" Hyunjin says excitedly. "I've just come from preparing our homemade lavender pouches! They're very strong, so if you ever need one just let me know!"

 

"I will," Felix says, already smiling. "By the way, who is 'Hwang?'"

 

"Oh!" Hyunjin exclaims. "That's me! Hwang Hyunjin!"

 

_ Oh, _ Felix thinks. It makes perfect sense.

 

"Anyways," Hyunjin says, seemingly sensing Felix's inner realization as he grins, "what've you got there?"

 

"Snickerdoodle cookies," Felix says distractedly, holding the basket out. Hyunjin grasps it enthusiastically.

 

"Awesome!" Hyunjin tells Felix. He turns abruptly and yells at Woojin to come join them, voice echoing throughout the shop's aisles.

 

"Is Changbin here?" Felix asks, peeking around shelves of roasted peppers and bottles of charred fish bones. Hyunjin straightens and snaps his fingers.

 

"Be sure to wake up Changbin so he can have a few as well!" Hyunjin shouts again. He's rewarded with a loud  _ thump, _ sounding suspiciously like a spellbook being slammed shut, a little too well-placed to be accidental. Felix shakes his head, fondly albeit a little exasperatedly.

 

The two witches emerge from behind the door to the back a few minutes later, Changbin holding two glasses of milk and Woojin holding another two. Hyunjin accepts one of the glasses gratefully, dunking a cookie into the liquid and watching cinnamon flecks rise to the surface.

 

"Do we have oolong tea?" Changbin wonders, mostly to himself. He turns and begins rummaging through the cabinets on the wall behind the counter, setting boxes after jars after boxes of tea bags and tea mixes and tea jams. He finally pulls out a little pale orange tin, bushes of little white flowers (baby's breath?) depicted on the sides. Absentmindedly, Changbin charms the other teas back into the cabinet, closing the door behind them softly and turning back around with the tin clutched in both hands.

 

"Anyone care for some oolong tea?" Changbin asks the three other witches, but the last part is drowned out by the sound of the door opening and closing rather loudly.

 

"I would like some oolong," the voice declares. "I have been craving a refreshing tea like that."

 

"I'll have a cup as well," Felix pipes up, partly because it sounds good and partly because Changbin looks downright irked at the unexpected visitor.

 

"Jeongin," Changbin forces out from between his teeth. "Welcome."

 

"Yes, yes," Jeongin says nonchalantly, plucking a vase of lilies from Woojin's desk as he approaches the group. "I'm here. Don't worry, though, because I don't have any pansies."

 

"Typically, you steal peonies," Woojin points out. Jeongin waves a hand dismissively, the other hand still gripping the flower vase.

 

"All the same. My customers don't know the difference."

 

Woojin scrunches his nose in disbelief and sips his milk to stop himself from saying something he'll regret.

 

"Jeongin," Felix says carefully, "don't you think that you should be giving your customers valid information?"

 

Jeongin turns to look at Felix and turns to look at Hyunjin. Then, he stares.

 

And stares.

 

"Fine," Jeongin huffs once Felix starts shifting uncomfortably. "Fine. So be it. I'll give my customers correct information."

 

"Thank you!" Felix says happily, content to have improved Jeongin's buyer-consumer relationship. Jeongin's cheeks are dusted red as he takes an aggressive gulp of his tea. Hyunjin narrows his eyes at the younger witch, munching on his cookie ferociously.

 

"So!" Woojin says, throwing his arms out and nearly hitting Changbin right in the stomach. "What brings you here, Jeongin?"

 

"I'm looking for Chan," Jeongin divulges. His voice has dropped and he's raised the flower case to hide his mouth from Hyunjin and Felix, who are on his left.

 

Woojin nods and checks the grandfather clock next to the counter.

 

"He should be here in about ten minutes," he informs helpfully. Jeongin tilts his head in acknowledgement and plants himself firmly on the countertop. He strikes up a conversation regarding a particularly irrelevant topic, Changbin and Woojin nodding along politely. Hyunjin turns to Felix, eyes sparkling as he moves his head in the direction of his garden. Felix nods, already moving with him.

 

They step out into the fresh air together, door closing without a sound. The gate is already open, ends of ivy vines peeking out from behind the doorposts. The two witches move towards the entrance, Felix following Hyunjin. The peculiar sprinkling of white is present once more in Hyunjin's hair, and Felix squints his eyes to see better. He spies slight traces of green as well, which confuses him even more. Inching closer, he makes out petal shapes and little stems.

 

There are  _ flowers _ growing in Hyunjin's hair.

 

"Have flowers always grown in your hair?" Felix asks, surprising both himself and Hyunjin. The witch startles and begins brushing through his hair, little white baby's breath blooms tumbling to the ground. His cheeks turn a shade of red, and he studies the ground intently.

 

Felix leans forwards and plucks a blossom out of Hyunjin's hair, holding it delicately between two fingers. The flower is mostly a pure white, but little brown spots mottle the edges of the petals. Felix sets the observation aside for later and smiles as he holds it out to the other.

 

"Is this frequent?" Felix asks once more, studying Hyunjin's rosy cheeks.

 

"No," Hyunjin says, fingers from one hand drumming the other's wrist. "It usually only happens when I'm in my garden."

 

"Cute," Felix says quietly.

 

"Well," Hyunjin continues, "and when I'm with someone I like."

 

Felix grins as the implications sail right over his head.

 

"I like you too, Hyunjinnie!" Felix says cheerily, shuffling down the beaten path as his heart (for some reason) beats two times its regular pace. "I'm so glad we've become such good friends."

 

"Yeah," Hyunjin says after a pause. "Me too."

 

They travel the garden's paths together, Hyunjin stopping occasionally to trim a bush or groom a flowerbed. Felix makes small talk as they go, talking about the weather and the flowers and the little pebbles that used to mark the path but are now covered with grass shoots and tiny clover patches. Hyunjin nods along easily, smile never leaving his face. They enjoy each other's company like that, walking and talking and gardening. Felix even helps with the maintenance of the rose bushes.

 

(If at some point, Hyunjin's hand tangles with Felix's, then that's nobody's business but their own.)

 

They walk back to the shop after checking up on the willow tree, Hyunjin brushing the curtain of leaves and wood aside gently to prod the tree's old trunk. They sit under the tree for a little bit, watching the flexible willow branches sway in the breeze, watching the sunspots dance on the lush grass.

 

Their hands are still intertwined when Hyunjin pushes the door open, the sound of voices drifting out the door before the two witches can close the door. Felix notes that Chan seems to have arrived while he and Hyunjin were in the garden, his voice riddled with hints of laughter as he converses with Woojin. Changbin and Jeongin seem to be having their own side conversation, voices hushed as they tell each other anecdotes about anything and everything. The two make their way to the stained glass, glancing at each other once in amusement as Chan's laughter sounds.

 

"Chan!" Hyunjin exclaims. "Nice to see you!"

 

Aforementioned witch turns and grins widely at the sight of Hyunjin and Felix, eyes flicking down to their hands for a moment of a moment before meeting their eyes once more.

 

"I haven't seen you in some time, Hyunjin," Chan remarked. "It's almost as if you have something else that's been taking up your time." He says this meaningfully, as if he knows something that  Felix doesn't, and the younger's confusion only doubles when he looks to Hyunjin for guidance and his face is flushed in embarrassment.

 

"Right," Hyunjin says, diverting the topic away from himself. "Has anyone seen Jisung as of late? We've been in need of some groceries."

 

"He's probably sucking face with Minho," Jeongin snickers, squawking when Woojin places a particularly firm and well-placed slap on his left shoulder.

 

"Are they dating?" Felix asks, thinking of the two and their seemingly wildly different personalities.

 

"Oh yes," Chan says, "they've been together for a while now. Perhaps three years?"

 

"Interesting," Changbin says once more. Felix is starting to think that it's his favorite word.

 

"Well," Felix starts, "I was definitely not aware of this." Hyunjin turns to look at him and scrutinizes every square millimeter of the younger witch's face.

 

"Interesting," Hyunjin says. "That explains some things." Changbin nods knowingly.

 

Chan grins as Jeongin pulls him into the back room, eyes firmly glued onto Felix, Hyunjin and their hands.

 

"Have fun!" Chan chirps, implying that Hyunjin and Felix are the ones leaving although  _ he _ is the one being dragged into a different room. "I'll be back soon!"

 

Woojin sighs and drags a hand down his face, rubbing a smooth stone that's been sitting on the countertop between his fingers. Changbin snags another cookie and drops it into his empty glass, watching it fold in half to reach the bottom.

 

The fountain bubbles, but only briefly, because it is much past two forty-three in the afternoon, and the sun is growing tired, her rays dimming as she dips into the hills on the horizon.

 

"I painted my house today," Felix blurts in the silence. All three of the other witches turn to him with varying emotions: Hyunjin is intrigued, Woojin is amused, and Changbin is interested but his mind is elsewhere. Felix swallows and wills his cheeks to return to a normal color.

 

"Can I come see sometime?" Woojin asks, smiling warmly as he stirs his cold cup of tea. Felix nods, embarrassed.

 

"I want to come too!" Hyunjin says, at the exact moment that Changbin suggests that they go now. Felix ducks his head and blushes, mind trying to work out how they'll all fit in his small little cottage but happy to have them over nonetheless.

 

"Where are we going?" Chan asks, emerging from the back room with Jeongin in tow. "I've just called Jisung and asked him to bring down some things, so we might as well bring him with."

 

"Seungmin is coming too," Jeongin says. "I told him to come over a while ago, and he  _ still  _ hasn't shown up, that mother—!" Chan claps a hand over Jeongin's mouth and smiles apologetically, shooting a warning look to the youngest witch.

 

"Oh," Felix says, "I'm sure we could fit all of us."

 

* * *

 

 

It was crowded in Felix's cottage.

 

Jisung and Seungmin had shown up, and Felix had taken the six witches to the doorstep of his home, painted a sky blue on the outside. Upon arrival, Jisung had excitedly announced that Minho was home and rushed over to collect him, dragging the stoic older witch behind him. Now, the eight (which, Felix reminds himself, was originally three) witches stand expectantly at his front door, watching Felix unlock it with the key he keeps under his flowerpot. Hyunjin is the first one to enter, going uncharacteristically quiet as he traces the waves painted onto the wall. The rest file in silently, tracing the sunflowers' petals and stems, watching the koi fish as if they expect them to move.

 

"Felix," Chan says breathlessly, "these are incredible."

 

"They are," Woojin agrees.

 

"You painted all of these yourself?" Jisung asks, eyeing the opened paint cans and messy paintbrushes. "Is this what you bought all of that paint for?"

 

"Yeah," Felix answers shyly. "It's one of my hobbies."

 

"Wow," Hyunjin says.

 

They make their way to the kitchen, eyes not leaving the artwork decorating the walls. Felix pulls out some bananas and mandarin oranges from the pantry, setting a loaf of cinnamon bread on the dining table with some butter and a couple knives. Seungmin snatches up the knife quickly, cutting into the bread and spreading butter over his slice. Woojin sighs, but sets about peeling an orange. Glasses are set on the table, and a pot of coffee as well as a jug of water are placed nearby.

 

Woojin, Chan, Seungmin, and Changbin take the four dining room chairs, while Jisung and Minho sit on the extra space that the counter offers, legs swinging off the side. Hyunjin and Jeongin stay standing, leaning against the table and counter respectively.

 

"So you bake often?" Seungmin inquires, finishing his slice of bread. Felix nods and pours himself some water.

 

"I bake and paint, mostly, since I'm still having trouble finding my affinity," Felix says. "I experiment a lot with different types of magic, but none of them seem to be my thing."

 

"I'm sure you will find what you need to," Minho says smoothly. "It is, after all, a very small town here. I'm sure one of us would be able to help you."

 

"Like me," Hyunjin winks. Felix flushes and makes as if to hit him, but he's grinning all the same.

 

"We'll figure it out, Felix," Woojin says kindly. "Everyone has an affinity, no matter how small."

 

"Of course," Changbin says, sounding sure of himself. He casts a  _ look _ at Jeongin, before clearing his throat and tearing his eyes away from the youngest. "Appetence is odd like that."

 

"What's that supposed to mean," Jeongin complains as he sips his coffee.

 

"Nothing," Changbin says stubbornly. Seungmin snorts, and Jeongin turns his attention to him, spouting some line that's sure to lead them to a scuffle.

 

Felix feels more at home while surrounded by the eight witches, settling into his position leaning against the counter as he drinks his water at a leisurely pace. Hyunjin leans over to him to whisper in his ear.

 

"Sorry that everyone ended up tagging along," Hyunjin says apologetically. "I'm not sure that I could've done anything about it."

 

"It's alright," Felix giggles. "I really don't mind, as long as everyone leaves happy."

 

"You're amazing," Hyunjin says quietly, leaning closer. "Your paintings are absolutely beautiful."

 

Felix blushes for what seems like the fiftieth time in two hours, resting his forehead on Hyunjin's shoulder to hide his burning cheeks. He can feel the older witch's body tense before relaxing, arms surrounding him and hugging him gently.

 

Felix exhales and allows himself to become comfortable in the embrace, practically melting into Hyunjin's chest. He stays there for a long moment, breathing in the scent of honey and lavender. Abruptly, something brushes the crown of his head, and it takes Felix an embarrassingly long time to realize that Hyunjin has just pressed a soft kiss to his hair. He looks up to Hyunjin's face with wide eyes, but he's met with an equally startled expression.

 

"You guys are cute," Chan calls. They spring apart, both blushing and silent as they stare down the ground.

 

"Oh, my God," Felix tells the floor. Hyunjin flushes even more, then makes a move towards the door. Felix moves with him, and soon Hyunjin is out the door, Felix following quickly.

 

"Well," Seungmin says, staring down the half loaf of cinnamon bread that remains, "I get the rest of the bread."

 

"Not if I have anything to do with it," Jeongin announces, lunging for the plate. Seungmin lets out an animalistic growl and goes after the remainder of the bread as well. Chan sighs and picks up an orange to peel.

 

* * *

"Hyunjin!" Felix exclaims, out of breath as he chases the older witch through the streets. Hyunjin, however, has decided to never stop, apparently, because he continues his attempted flee from Felix. They run through the cobbled streets and up a path, where Hyunjin takes a sharp right into a narrow trail that leads through the woods. Felix huffs and follows him anyways, weaving through trees and brush. The elder finally stops when the forest clears, collapsing onto a hillside and laying with all of his limbs spread as if he were a star.

 

"How," Hyunjin pants, "in the world did we run all the way here?"

 

"Well," Felix says, equally out of breath. "I honestly do not know the answer to that."

 

"Good," Hyunjin responds. "Because I haven't the slightest idea either."

 

They lay together for a minute, watching the stars blink into existence as the clouds clear. The moon smiles down at them, crescent-shaped and bright. Felix joins his hand with Hyunjin's, not daring to look away from the twinkling night sky as his chest grows warm. White flowers with brown speckles litter the grass around them, and Felix picks one up to place on Hyunjin's nose. The elder giggles in amusement, before plucking it off of his nose and examining the bloom between his fingers. He frowns as his fingertips brush the brown spots on the edges, before tossing the petals to the side and focusing on Felix's face. They look at each other, the only light that of the moon and the stars, and the stars resemble the younger's freckles so Hyunjin makes a decision in that moment.

 

"I want to kiss you," Hyunjin breathes. Felix says nothing, but leans forwards a fraction of an inch.

 

There's nothing dramatic about the moment in which their lips touch. There's no fireworks, no "Happy New Year!" cheers, no mistletoe.

 

But the kiss is comfortable, soothing in a way that an exciting kiss could never be. It brings warmth to both of their faces, and they both have hands on the other's cheeks. They both smile at each other when they pull apart, in awe and yet not surprised at all.

 

And then, they laugh.

 

They laugh at the absurdity of their situation, the almost picturesque hillside illuminated by starlight, and Hyunjin gets up first, offering Felix a hand. They walk back to Felix's cottage together, fingers intertwined as Hyunjin sneaks pecks onto Felix's nose and the younger squeezes the other's hand in his own.

 

(It's disgusting, but also frustratingly adorable.)

 

The cottage is long empty when they arrive, dishes all set neatly in the sink and extra food packed securely into plastic containers. Felix walks Hyunjin to the door, and they part ways with another soft kiss, chaste and perfect all the same. Hyunjin begins his journey home, but he keeps turning around and making increasingly ridiculous heart gestures to Felix, who's watching with a fond smile on his face. When the older witch turns a corner and he's out of sight (after one last heart), Felix closes the front door gently, smiling to himself.

 

He brushes his fingertips against the koi fish on his hallway wall and keeps grinning.

 

* * *

Felix wakes up to a knocking at his door.

 

He stumbles out of his bed blearily and rubs his eyes before running a hand through his hair once before going to the door. He opens it and hides his body behind the door itself, peeking out to see who it is.

 

Hyunjin stands at the door, fully dressed and fully alert, shoulders tense and posture stiff. When he sees Felix and his sleepy appearance, however, it's like his body drains of tension, his entire demeanor softening at the sight of Felix rubbing his eyes once more at the sudden sunlight.

 

"Hello, sunshine," Hyunjin sings as he takes Felix's hand to lead him back to his bed. "Let's go to bed again, shall we?"

 

They settle into Felix's bed together, snuggling up to each other and the younger lazily traces patterns into Hyunjin's collarbone. It's odd, Hyunjin's jeans clashing with Felix's striped flannel bottoms. Nonetheless, they make it work, cuddling impossibly close. Just as they're about to nod off once more, Felix asks something, muffled by Hyunjin's chest. The older hums in question, shifting slightly.

 

"Can I call you my boyfriend?" Felix asks again, continuing to look anywhere but the other witch's eyes. Hyunjin laughs softly, pressing a kiss to the crown of Felix's head.

 

"Of course, angel. As long as I can call you mine."

 

* * *

They wake up slowly together, the patterns painted onto Felix's wall bathed in sunlight. Hyunjin places feather-light kisses on both of the younger's eyelids, and Felix smiles as each press of the older's lips brings him back to awareness.

 

"How did it take us this long," Felix sighs, looking up at Hyunjin.

 

"I tried, sunshine," Hyunjin says, pouting dramatically. "But you were so oblivious to my attempts!"

 

"Wrong," Felix denies. He pauses and looks to the ceiling, thinking. "Or, now that I think about it, un-wrong."

 

"Right," Hyunjin corrects gently, shifting and groaning as he gets up. "I'm going to make some breakfast for my beautiful boyfriend now."

 

As he gets up, he sways a little bit, and Felix shifts sharply to try and steady him. As soon as it's there, it's gone, and Hyunjin is laughing awkwardly as Felix glares at him.

 

"Sorry, stood up too fast," he says sheepishly. He narrows his eyes at Felix playfully when he sees that the younger is still looking at him suspiciously. "Honest, honey."

 

"Okay," Felix relents, getting up as well. "Do you need to go to the garden today?"

 

"I'd like to!" Hyunjin says cheerfully as he moves towards the kitchen with Felix in tow. "Want to come with me?"

 

"Of course."

 

They eat rice, kimchi, and an assortment of other dishes found in Felix's refrigerator—after all, he doesn't really have ingredients to make anything and they're feeling lazy anyways. As Hyunjin bites into a bit of kalbi, Felix sets down two glasses of water to accompany their tea.

 

"Thank you, sunshine," Hyunjin says through a full mouth. The younger giggles and sits down, breaking his chopsticks.

 

"No problem, darling!" Felix says, then blushes a bright red when he processes the pet name that's just come out of his mouth. Hyunjin's frozen, chopsticks holding some kimchi and mouth halfway through a chew. He clears his throat (a bad idea when you still have meat in your mouth) and thumps his chest once, before muttering something that sounds suspiciously like "cute."

 

They eat in silence for a good thirty seconds before Hyunjin snorts around a bite of rice and Felix bursts out into laughter at the (disgusting) chewed rice that falls onto the elder’s plate. They both continue to try to eat, but it doesn’t work very well when they’re trying to swallow laughs and smiles instead of cucumber kimchi and hot tea. They finish their meal comfortably, talking about the garden and what needs to be tended to today. Hyunjin mentions that he needs to set out new batches of rosemary and thyme to dry, and Felix tells him that he wants to visit the bees again too. Once the plates in front of them have been cleared and they finish the pot of tea (Hyunjin takes the last cup—it’s gritty and earthy but Felix’s amused expression makes it all worth it), they clear the dishes away and wipe down the table quickly before Felix throws on a pink turtleneck and jeans, brushes a hand through his hair, and slips into his well-loved sneakers.

 

The two witches walk down the streets at their own pace, in no hurry yet not wanting to dawdle. Felix says hello to the owner of the town’s épicerie, a stout French witch with rosy cheeks and a motherly demeanor. She waves excitedly back, gesturing to Hyunjin and Felix’s intertwined fingers and losing herself in her first language as sentences that Felix can’t even begin to understand float through the crisp morning air. The two wave goodbye to her, reciprocating at her dimpled grin.

 

Hyunjin grows visibly more excited as they approach the garden, straightening where before he was slouched. His eyes become more alert, residual sleepiness disappearing as the place where his magic is strongest grows closer. Felix watches as the older witch even gains a slight skip to his step, the breeze seeming to dance in time with him. They arrive to the gate too soon and not soon enough, an ivy vine peeking out over the wood curiously. Hyunjin waves to it playfully, a smile quirking his lips upwards as he opens the gate with a hand movement.

 

“What do you know about cutting herbs to dry?” Hyunjin asks, turning to Felix with an excited glimmer in his eyes. He takes a left at the fork in the path and heads towards a wooden shed. “I do it a lot, so I can always teach you if need be.”

 

“That would be good,” Felix responds with a gentle laugh. “I didn’t think I’d ever be needing to know how to dry herbs.”

 

They walk out to the plants together, Hyunjin taking the lead before handing the cutters to Felix. Rosemary, thyme, and even a little bit of lemon balm gather in their arms, sprigs abundant. They carry it all back to the shed, where there’s a little table that they can use to bundle.

 

“Harvesting in the morning is more efficient,” Hyunjin explains as they wrap twine around the lower half of the bundles. “The dew has dried from the leaves, but the leaves themselves are hydrated enough to be in what I call ‘prime condition.’”

 

“Hm,” Felix says as he ties a bow with the twine. “I kind of always thought that one just hung herbs up and left them.”

 

“Essentially, yes,” Hyunjin laughs, “and using muslin wrapped loosely around the sprigs can also keep out dust and catch falling leaves. It generally only takes about seven days with the right conditions.”

 

Wrapping the herbs is quite difficult, as Felix finds out. The leaves are fragile, and although they’re not even dry yet, some of the leaves fall off. Hyunjin tells him that if any leaves fall off now, they shouldn’t be drying in the first place, and some of Felix’s (weirdly prominent) stress subsides. Hanging them is also surprisingly tricky, and Hyunjin giggles into his hand when Felix makes a noise of distress as his rosemary falls back to the tabletop. Eventually, all of the herbs make it to the ceiling, and they clean up the shed before marching down the path to the bees.

 

“Honey bees are endangered now,” Felix says quietly as he peers down into a box. “Did you know that?”

 

Hyunjin sighs sadly and holds a hand out, watching the little creatures congregate on his glove. “And to think they’re just here to help our wildlife.”

 

Felix laughs bitterly. “Somehow, it’s always the most pure-hearted that get the most hardships.” Hyunjin inclines his head slightly.

 

* * *

 

 

Despite the bittersweet moment they share at the beehives, they enjoy themselves for the rest of the time they spend in the garden. They sit on the bridge and let their toes touch the water, Felix jumping when a particularly curious minnow decides to prod at his big toe. They traverse the entirety of the garden, enjoying the shade that the willow tree offers and watering the flower bushes that dot the landscape prettily. By the time they emerge from a tiny storage shed, having just put their watering cans away, the sun’s eyes have drooped, her rays bathing the garden in an orange-yellow glow.

 

They walk back to Felix’s cottage quietly, and the comfortable silence is interrupted when Hyunjin pulls the younger to the side of the road and looks Felix in the eye.

 

“Is everything okay?” Felix asks, eyebrows drawing in as he stares back confusedly.

 

“I have something important I have to do,” Hyunjin confesses. He doesn’t break eye contact, there are brown-white blooms sticking out from his hair, and he’s scarily serious, but his eyes are warm and loving.

 

“Oh—okay,” Felix says, bemused but trusting.

 

“I have to kiss every single one of your freckles,” Hyunjin tells him solemnly before peppering the younger’s cheeks and nose with kisses. Felix squeaks and giggles, hands coming up half-heartedly to push at Hyunjin’s chest as his nose scrunches up.

 

“Hyunjin!” Felix gasps, laughing as the older plants a messy kiss on his right cheekbone. “Oh, my goodness, Jinnie!”

 

Hyunjin stops, cheeks flushing before he grins. “Jinnie?”

 

“Yeah,” Felix says, teasing. “My cute baby Jinnie.”

 

Hyunjin thinks for a moment before lighting up.

 

“Then,” he says, “I get to call you Lixie!”

 

They tease each other with their new nicknames the rest of the way, Hyunjin throwing in some other names (“angel,” “honey,” “sunshine”) while Felix only occasionally adds “darling” (and yet, it’s extremely effective). The front door (painted with little yellow birds on tree branches) is in front of them before they know it, and they share a gentle kiss before Hyunjin sets off into the night once more.

 

“Be safe, darling!” Felix calls as he watches Hyunjin skip away with a flair in his movements.

 

“I will!” Hyunjin responds. “Bye-bye, Lixie!”

 

Felix enters his apartment again and lets himself bask in how peaceful and content he is with his day. The paint on his wall seems to sigh lovingly as he passes by them, thinking of Hyunjin.

 

He goes to bed early that night, turning off his old 80’s lamp and snuggling into his covers.

 

(And so what if the bedsheets smell slightly of Hyunjin?)

 

* * *

Changbin walks into the shop in the morning pale as a ghost, the old oak door stretching its creaking complaint out for longer than usual. Woojin moves towards him, worried hands outstretched to cup the other's face.

 

"What's wrong, baby?" Woojin asks softly.

 

"It's today," Changbin says, almost too quietly for the elder to catch. "Something's going to happen today."

 

Woojin pales as well and rushes behind the counter to call Chan, making sure to hand Changbin a bottle of water beforehand. The younger's "senses," as he had put it, were physically draining as well as mentally draining, as they'd learned the difficult way.

 

"Chan," Woojin says into the phone, "you must get down here at once. See if we can't round up more of our group as well. Something's going to happen."

 

The door crick-cracks once more, and the critters in the garden cry out in unison as the energy around them shifts dramatically.

 

A figure falls to the floor on the welcome mat, dead brown baby's breath blooms falling to the worn wood as the weeping willow's whispering leaves turn dark.

 

* * *

Something goes very wrong that morning.

 

Felix can sense it, the air around him moving in a way he can't even begin to explain. His first thought is to check up on all eight of his friends, hurrying out the door and straight into a deluge. After rushing back inside and snatching a raincoat from his coat hanger, he makes his way as quickly as possible to the convenience store, thoughts of Jisung and Minho running through his mind.

 

He throws open the door and the monotone electronic bell contrasts sharply to the panic he feels. The store is empty, not even a rustling behind the organic fruit aisle to signal that Jisung is somewhere out of sight. As Felix calls the store owner's name a couple of times, the clouds outside give a loud rumble. Felix calls Jisung's name once more before giving up, exiting the store swiftly. There's nowhere else he really wants to check other than Woojin’s shop, because something tells him that he'll find what he's looking for there.

 

When Felix arrives at the shop, the ivy growing wildly up the chimney and across the cottage's outside tells him that something is definitely amiss. The vines reach out desperately, almost as if they're pleading for help. There are flower petals littering the front walkway, cobble almost like a crime scene with both the rain and the wet petals vandalizing it. The front door is ajar, a stray vine creeping into the shop at the last second and serving as a makeshift doorstop. He pushes open the door slowly, the groaning and shuddering of the old oak suddenly much more ominous. Felix hears a pair of rushed footsteps storming around in the room behind the counter, so he makes his way to the door, which he finds to be open.

 

With only a moment of hesitation, he walks through the doorway and promptly stops in his tracks.

 

Woojin hurries around the room grabbing pastes and marbles and bottles of healing potions, arms full of supplies and yet not full enough. Chan flips rapidly through a spellbook, teeth worrying his bottom lip and wand raised as if midway through an incantation. Hyunjin sits in the middle of the room, mouth shut tight and eyes screwed shut as tears roll down his cheeks. His arms are at his side, the soft part on the underside facing outwards. The veins under his skin glow with barely-contained magic essence as the weather outside rages on. The storm cracks and thunders in pain, garden outside growing past the old stone wall and reaching out to the distressed sky.

 

Felix is reminded that magic is not always pure and good, even at the hands of someone as pure and good as Hwang Hyunjin.

 

_ Somehow, it’s always the most pure-hearted that get the most hardships. _

 

Suddenly, Hyunjin's eyes snap open and they find Felix's. There is no emotion in them, a harrowing contrast to the tears staining his face and the agonized posture of his body. Woojin startles as a tree branch raps sharply against the shop's window.

 

"Oh," Woojin breathes when he sees Felix, "you really mustn't be here at the moment. I can handle this, really, I'm just going to need some time with Chan and Hyunjin."

 

Felix says nothing but inhales quietly, heart aching as he steps into the room anyways. He doesn't take his eyes off of Hyunjin's. The witch's arms begin to move from his sides, reaching for Felix as he sits collapsed on the floor. It's like there's a physical pull of energy, flower petals unfurling to prod him towards the witch on the ground, broad leaves pushing his shoulders and leaving a waxy film behind, and Felix continues to move until they're feet apart, inches apart.

 

They touch hands and the cosmos fall apart, taking the both of them with, collapsing and folding and twisting and bending—

 

* * *

Magic is fickle. All witches know this, and barely any forget when using their own. Sometimes, it presents itself in an unprecedented manner, because magic does what it pleases, which isn't always what is most convenient for its users.

 

However, there is one generally accepted rule to magic. This is proven over and over again by oddities found in ruins, by peculiar stories shared in the privacy of homes, and by Luck as she exists.

 

No matter how fickle, magic will almost always present itself when a loved one's safety is at risk.

 

* * *

Felix wakes up choking in his own magic, the stuff rolling over his conscience in waves, crashing and rippling and absolutely  _ suffocating. _

 

A gentle hand on his cheek puts his head above the waves, bringing him back to the present. Hyunjin's worried eyes meet his and a blue crystal from the first day they met is deposited into his palm. It's almost like the mineral sucks the excess magic out of him, and Felix is finally able to breathe.

 

"Never do that  _ ever _ again," a voice says from behind him. A head of dark hair appears in Felix's field of vision, and the witch blinks tired eyes at Jeongin, who looks extremely upset yet simultaneously immensely relieved.

 

"Yes, sir," Felix mumbles. "Although, I'm not actually quite sure what happened myself."

 

This time, Woojin appears in front of him, eyes sad and arms crossed over his chest.

 

"You're a healing witch, Felix, and a powerful one at that," Woojin informs him, pausing momentarily. "There's a multitude of things I could be saying to you, but first I will make sure that you actually know what your own powers do and how you need to take care of them."

 

Felix can do nothing but nod dumbly. Woojin nods crisply and draws Felix's purchases (?) from the shop from his satchel, laying them out on the bed by the witch's feet.

 

"This," Woojin says, holding up the smooth skipping stone, "serves as a grounding force. Healing spells can be particularly draining, and it's easy to lose yourself in the flow of your magic if you're working past your limit. If at any point, a spell becomes overwhelming, I must ask you to stop it immediately and focus on this stone between your fingertips. It's important to always have the stone on hand when performing advanced spells, and as you start out I recommend you hold it during small charms as well. The smoother the stone, the more efficient it is."

 

Hyunjin keeps glancing between Felix's baffled expression and Woojin's stern one, occasionally peering at the supplies laid out on the bed before returning to focus on his hands.

 

"These," Woojin says, setting the stone back down to scoop up various crystals, "are for magic storage. Healing is a very powerful thing, but it can also get to be extremely overwhelming very quickly. If you hold a crystal when you have an excess of magic in your body, like you just did, then the magic can be transferred to the crystal, where it's harmless and about as useful as Jeongin's flower business."

 

Jeongin opens his mouth in protest, then closes it.

 

"But really," Woojin continues, "the magic, once inside the crystals, will be useless unless you specifically release it. I don't think there'll be a circumstance in which you'll need to release it, though, so I’d imagine that beginning to amass a crystal collection would be useful."

 

Felix nods, already rubbing the skipping stone between his thumb and pointer finger. Woojin deposits the crystals onto the bed again and picks up the last item.

 

"Now," Woojin starts, "the sundrops are different. These are a tool that you can use to facilitate your healing, but there are specific spells that they aid. Sundrops are traditionally used to cleanse one's aura, and erase corruption and darkness from their magic flow. However, there's a setback to this, and every healing witch needs to have someone they love making contact with them while they perform the spell."

 

Felix nods once more, eyelids growing heavy as he fights to stay awake. Woojin exhales in amusement.

 

"You're tired, so get some rest," Woojin laughs lightly. "Hyunjin will stay with you as you recover."

 

Felix hums and closes his eyes fully, listening to the soft footsteps exiting the room, hushed whispers following. He succumbs to sleep as soon as he feels a hand lay on top of his own.

 

* * *

“There’s nothing that I can do about it, so you should just visit more often,” a voice says. Felix comes back into awareness slower than he thought possible, catching the end of a conversation.

 

“I know, Hyunjin,” a different voice sighs. “As if I possibly couldn’t.”

 

“I  _ don’t _ know, unfortunately,” Felix jokes, voice crackly and deep. Seungmin and Hyunjin turn to him in surprise, before the younger hurriedly excuses himself and steps out of the room.

 

“Hey, sunshine,” Hyunjin says softly. “We were worried about you.”

 

“Are you okay?” Felix asks instead of answering that statement, looking over Hyunjin and lingering on his forearms.

 

“I’m fine, angel,” the older says, taking Felix’s hands in his own. “You almost weren’t, though.”

 

“I suppose that’s what happens when one discovers their affinity in a most surprising way,” Felix says, smiling slightly. Hyunjin shakes his head fondly.

 

“Really, Lixie, it was very reckless of you to do that,” Hyunjin says, pouting. “I really do hope you research your affinity and its limitations.”

 

“Well,” Felix says, “I still don’t know what happened to you in the first place.”

 

“Magic buildup,” Hyunjin confesses. “I wasn’t practicing enough and I thought I could handle it, but magic is… unreliable. Fluctuating, if you will.”

 

Felix responds by smacking Hyunjin’s shoulder with his palm, glaring worriedly at the elder.

 

“Well.” Felix huffs. “Don’t do it again.”

 

* * *

Woojin, after fussing for four whole days, finally deems Felix fit to be up and about as normal. Hyunjin and he visit the garden, and Felix swears that the weeping willow’s leaves grow a little brighter when he brushes them aside to sit underneath.

 

“They like you,” Hyunjin confides. At Felix’s confused head tilt, he elaborates. “My plants do. So do the animals that visit. They all love you, sunshine.”

 

And Felix blushes.

 

He goes home that night, opening his fridge with Hyunjin to see new groceries (“Darling, you didn’t have to do this…”) and tracing his painted walls once more.

 

He turns to face Hyunjin once more and finds him sheepishly holding something behind his back.

 

“What’s that, Jinnie?” Felix asks curiously, trying to get a peek. Hyunjin fidgets once more before revealing an unassuming wad of newspaper.

 

“It’s—it’s a fire starter,” Hyunjin explains, glancing at Felix’s fireplace. “It has some of our dried herbs in the middle, so it’ll give off a nice smell when you burn it.”

 

“Let’s try it!” Felix says excitedly, grabbing a lighter from a kitchen drawer and leading his boyfriend to the fireplace. Hyunjin sets the newspaper gently in the middle of the steel frame as Felix stacks up logs nearby to add once the fire is going. Flicking the lighter on, Felix holds it to the paper, pulling away once a flame is lit. They watch the flame consume the newspaper together, stacking up larger and larger logs until they have a comfortably-sized fire. They curl up on the couch then, content to be in each other’s presence. Felix snuggles into Hyunjin’s side, humming.

 

“Lavender and honey,” he mumbles. Hyunjin raises an eyebrow.

 

“Sunshine, the starter has lemon balm in it,” he says, perplexed. Felix just smiles and shifts to get more comfortable.

 

_ Lavender and honey indeed. _

**Author's Note:**

> that's it!! i hope you guys enjoyed! feel free to leave a comment below and let me know what you thought:) thank you for reading!


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